Get Out of a High Cost Area

You probably know that coastal cities are expensive. Actually, if you’re reading this blog, chances are better than not you’re an educated person living in an urban area. It’s also not surprising that the high cost of living serves as a wall that prevents the migration of poor workers from e.g. Ohio or West Virginia. Interstate mobility in the US has decreased, and part of that can undoubtedly be explained by pull (family ties) and push (cost of living) factors. This has contributed to political polarization, overall wage stagnation, class-based segregation, and increased resentment all over the board.

The key tenet in my book is that wages are not going up, at least not as fast as cost of living. This article makes it abundantly clear that it’s driven by housing:

Housing costs have grown much faster in high-income places than low-income ones since 1960. Housing has always been more expensive in high-income places, but the difference is getting more extreme. In 1960, on average, US states with 10% higher incomes had housing costs that were 10% higher. In 2010, states with 10% higher incomes had 20% higher housing costs.

I would also add labour to that mix. As part of overall price pressures, you have to pay more for help, since they need to be able to afford to live there or otherwise be compensated for a long commute in from the exurbs.

So if you’re living in an expensive city, carefully examine your own life and entertain the notion that you may have more disposable net income after moving to the sticks. (Note: this doesn’t factor in the potential for career advancement and networking opportunities in the big city)

Better yet, take advantage of geographic arbitrage using techniques from my book.